5 Blood Sugar Regulation Tips for Eating Candy This Halloween
Written by: Content Team
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Time to read 3 min
The post-Halloween horde of candy can be a challenge to deal with from a health perspective. Whether it’s portioning it out to kids so they don’t overeat all at once, or it’s repurposing leftover candy into sprinkles for desserts, it can be a challenge to incorporate excess candy into a nutritional lifestyle.
For blood sugar, it’s important to remember that keeping it balanced and regulated can help you feel energized and at your best potential. Overloading the blood with too much sugar intake can lead to momentary increases in energy and activity, but they quickly deplete and crash out, leaving you feeling dreary and in a daze.
Whether it’s for you or for your kids this year, here are some tips on how to regulate your blood sugar before diving into that pile of candy.
1. Eat a Well-Balanced Meal Before Eating Candy
If you know you’re going to be binging on candy on the night of Halloween (because the pile of candy is just too tempting to take in small portions), make sure to eat a well-balanced meal beforehand.
The key to the meal should be in its protein and fiber amount. Protein and fiber are known to slow the absorption of sugar into the body during digestion, so pregaming with a well-balanced protein, salad, and/or vegetable dish can help keep the post-dinner candies from spiking your blood sugar too suddenly.
2. Make Sure to Drink Enough Water
Hydration is one of the key ingredients for regulating the amount of sugar in the blood. If you’re eating a lot of candy in a dehydrated state, you’re asking for the inevitable sugar spike and subsequent crash. By making sure to drink enough water before indulging in sweet treats, you’re helping to keep your blood sugar at optimum levels and minimizing the effect of the increased sugar intake.
3. Go for a Walk (Before & After)
One of the best ways to regulate overall wellness and especially blood sugar is to do a little cardiovascular activity. Something as simple as just taking a 10-minute walk after eating a sugar-packed meal can help diffuse the amount of sugar that gets into the blood. Trick-or-treating is a great way to get some exercise in before the candy intake, but also try to plan for a little activity as well after the candy is consumed.
4. Be Mindful of Candy Nutrition Labels
Not all candy is the same, and some will have larger amounts of sugar compared to others. Pay attention to the amount of sugar in each piece by checking the labels and then eating accordingly.
Dark chocolates, for example, typically have less sugar overall than other forms of chocolate or hard candies. There are also a number of candy brands that are advertised as having lower sugar and could be good alternatives to suggest for your house this year to help keep Halloween a low-sugar event.
Many dehydrated fruits can also take the place of candies and can give added nutritional benefits for trick-or-treaters than processed candies.
5. Manage Stress & Get Some Sleep
Admittedly, the Halloween season is not the most conducive to relaxation and soothing sleep habits. But the effects that stress and sleep play on overall wellness and especially blood sugar levels are not merely an apparition.
Cortisol is a hormone that can play a big impact on blood sugar levels and is tied very close to stress. When the body is stressed, cortisol is released, which then releases stored blood sugar (known as glucose) into the blood stream, increasing the overall blood sugar level.
Insulin is a hormone that helps move glucose into the cells of the body to give them energy. Insulin is also affected by sleep, where sleep deprivation can lead to lowered insulin sensitivity, making it harder for the blood to clear its glucose into the cells.
To help with this, try to prioritize stress management for you and your family this Halloween, and be sure to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
Final Thoughts: Enjoy Halloween Mindfully
Halloween can be a fun time of year, and it’s okay to indulge a little in festive candy. With a mindful approach to it, you can keep from getting the notorious blood sugar spike and subsequent crash while still having fun with family and friends.
